Apparatus and Method for Interactive Multimedia Service in Access Network

Abstract

A system and method for providing an interactive multimedia service to a user in an access network are provided. The system includes a multimedia service providing server and a user terminal. The multimedia service providing server creates multimedia information requested by a user terminal, processes the created multimedia information, and manages a corresponding communication channel to allow a predetermined user terminal to receive the processed multimedia information. The user terminal transmits inputted user multimedia information to the multimedia service providing server through the access network and receives the multimedia information transmitted from the multimedia service providing server through the access network.

1 . A system for providing interactive multimedia services to at least one of user terminals through an access network, the system comprising:
 a multimedia service providing server for creating multimedia information requested by a user terminal, processing the created multimedia information, and managing a corresponding communication channel to allow a predetermined user terminal to receive the processed multimedia information; and   a user terminal for transmitting inputted user multimedia information to the multimedia service providing server through the access network and receiving the multimedia information transmitted from the multimedia service providing server through the access network.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the access network includes at least one of an IP communication network and an RF communication network. 
   
   
       3 . A system for providing interactive multimedia services to at least one of user terminals, comprising:
 a service server for transmitting interactive multimedia service availability information to each of the user terminals based on set registration information of the user terminals and creating multimedia information requested by a user terminal capable of using the interactive multimedia services;   a data processing server for receiving user multimedia information transmitted from the user terminal to provide the received user multimedia information to the service server and processing the created multimedia information at the service server into data suitable for the access network; and   a channel management server for managing communication channels with the access network to allow the predetermined user terminal to receive the processed multimedia information from the data processing server and to transmit the user multimedia information transmitted from the predetermined user terminal to the data processing server.   
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the data processing server includes:
 a multimedia information receiving unit for receiving the multimedia information transmitted from the user terminal through the access network over an IP or RF channel allocated by the channel management server; and   a multimedia information transmitting unit for transmitting the processed multimedia information to the access network over an IP or RF channel allocated by the channel management server in order to transmit the multimedia information to the user terminal through downstream.   
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the multimedia information receiving unit includes:
 a demodulator for demodulating upstream multimedia data received from the channel management server in a set demodulation scheme if a connection state with the access network is an RF channel connection state;   a UDP/TCP processor for processing a UDP or TCP format of the user multimedia information received through upstream from the channel management server if a connection state with the access network is an IP connection state; and   a decoder and DEMUX for compressed decoding the multimedia data received through the demodulator or the UDP/TCP processor depending on the connection state with the access network, demultiplexing the decoded multimedia data, and decoding the demultiplexed multimedia data to provide audio/video/data to the service server.   
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the set demodulation scheme in the demodulator is at lease one of QAM, VSB, OFDM and QPSK. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the multimedia information transmitting unit includes:
 an encoder and MUX for compressing and encoding the multimedia data transmitted from the service server and multiplexing the encoded multimedia data to output the multiplexed multimedia data;   a modulator for modulating the multimedia data outputted from the encoder and MUX in a set modulation scheme to provide the modulated multimedia data to the channel management server if a connection state with the access network is an RF channel connection state; and   a UDP/TCP processor for converting the multimedia data transmitted from the encoder and MUX into a UDP or TCP format to provide the converted multimedia data to the channel management server if a connection state to the access network is an IP connection stat.   
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the set modulation scheme in the modulator is at least one of QAM, VSB, OFDM and QPSK. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the upstream multimedia data includes at least one of audio information, video information, console information including information about a keyboard, a pointing device, a joy stick and a remote, and user channel information including information about an IP address, a port number and a personalized RF channel number. 
   
   
       10 . A user terminal for communicating with a service server through an access network to receive interactive multimedia services, the user terminal comprising:
 a multimedia information receiving unit for receiving multimedia availability information downstream transmitted from the service server through the access network over an allocated channel and multimedia information requested by a user; and   a multimedia information transmitting unit for transmitting the multimedia information selected or inputted by the user based on the received multimedia availability information to the service server over the allocated IP or RF channel to perform upstream transmission to the service server.   
   
   
       11 . The user terminal of  claim 10 , wherein the multimedia information receiving unit includes:
 a demodulator for demodulating downstream multimedia information received from the channel management server in a set demodulation scheme if a connection state with the access network is an RF channel connection state;   a UDP/TCP processor for processing a UDP or TCP format of the downstream multimedia information received through the channel management server if a connection state with the access network is an IP connection state; and   a decoder and DEMUX for compressing and decoding the multimedia data received through the demodulator or the UDP/TCP processor depending on the connection state with the access network, demultiplexing the decoded multimedia data, and decoding the demultiplexed multimedia data to provide audio/video/data to the service server.   
   
   
       12 . The user terminal of one of  claims 11 , wherein the set demodulation scheme in the demodulator is at lease one of QAM, VSB, OFDM and QPSK. 
   
   
       13 . The user terminal of  claim 10 , wherein the multimedia information transmitting unit includes:
 an encoder and MUX for encoding the multimedia data inputted from a user and multiplexing the encoded multimedia data to output the multiplexed multimedia data;   a modulator for modulating the multimedia data outputted from the encoder and MUX in a set modulation scheme and transmitting the modulated multimedia data to a multimedia service server through an access network if a connection state with the access network is an RF channel connection state; and   a UDP/TCP processor for converting the multimedia data transmitted from the encoder and MUX into a UDP or TCP format and transmitting the converted UDP/TCP multimedia data to the multimedia service server through the access network if a connection state to the access network is an IP connection state.   
   
   
       14 . The user terminal of one of  claim 13 , wherein the set modulation scheme in the modulator is at least one of QAM, VSB, OFDM and QPSK. 
   
   
       15 . The user terminal of one of  claim 13 , wherein the upstream multimedia data includes at least one of audio information, video information, console information including information about a keyboard, a pointing device, a joy stick and a remote, and user channel information including information about an IP address, a port number and a personalized RF channel number. 
   
   
       16 . A method for providing an interactive multimedia service between a multimedia service providing server and a user terminal in an access network, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) transmitting interactive multimedia service availability information to each user terminal based on set registration information of a plurality of user terminals   b) determining whether a user terminal is capable of receiving a predetermined interactive multimedia service according to user information and network information included in user multimedia information received from the user terminal   c) creating corresponding multimedia information according to the received user multimedia information, and transmitting the created multimedia information to a user terminal if the user terminal is capable of receiving a service; and   d) transmitting input multimedia information to a service server through an access network if user multimedia information is inputted from a user after receiving interactive multimedia service information from the multimedia service providing server and selecting one of service information at the user.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step c) includes the steps of:
 c-1) demodulating the upstream multimedia data received from a user terminal according to a set demodulation scheme if a connection state to the access network is a RF channel connection, and processing the user multimedia information upstream received from the user terminal based on a UDP or a TCP if the connection state to the access network is an IP connection; and   c-2) demultiplexing the demodulated multimedia data or the UDP or TCP processed multimedia data depending on the connection state of the access network, and decoding the demultiplexed multimedia data.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the set registration information of the user terminal includes at least one of information about an IP address of a user terminal, a port and a RF channel number. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the interactive multimedia service availability information includes EPG (electronic program guide) information. 
   
   
       20 . A method of providing an interactive multimedia service between a service server and a user terminal in an access network, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) at the service server, transmitting interactive multimedia service availability information to a user terminal based on set registration information of user terminals through an access network;   b) at a least one of user terminals that receives the interactive multimedia service information, transmitting inputted multimedia information to the service server through an access network if the user terminal selects one of service information and inputs the user multimedia information and   c) at the service server, determining whether the user terminal is capable of receiving a predetermine multimedia service according to user information and network information included in the received user multimedia information, and creating corresponding multimedia information according to the received user multimedia information and transmitting the created multimedia information to a corresponding user terminal through an access network.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step c) includes the steps of:
 c-1) compressing and encoding multimedia data requested from the user terminal and multiplexing and outputting the encoded multimedia data;   c-2) modulating the multiplexed multimedia data according to a set modulation scheme and transmitting the modulated multimedia data through an access network if the connection state to the access network is a RF channel connection; and   c-3) converting the multiplexed multimedia data in a UDP format or a TCP format and transmitting the converted multimedia data to a user terminal through an access network if the connection state to the access network is an IP connection.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the set registration information of the user terminal includes at least one of information about an IP address of a user terminal, a port and a RF channel number. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the interactive multimedia service availability information includes EPG (electronic program guide) information. 
   
   
       24 . A method of transmitting and receiving multimedia information at a user terminal capable of communicating with a service server for receiving an interactive multi media service through an access network, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) receiving multimedia service availability information that is downstream transmitted from the service server through an access network over an allocated channel;   b) transmitting multimedia information, which is selected among the received multimedia service availability information by a user inputted from a user, to the service server through the allocated channel in order to upstream transmit the multimedia information to the server; and   c) processing corresponding multimedia information if corresponding multimedia information requested by the user is received from the service server.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step c) includes the steps of:
 c-1) demodulating downstream multimedia information transmitted from the service server through the access network if a connection state to the access network is a RF channel connection, or processing downstream multimedia information transmitted from the service server through the access network based on a UDP or a TCP if a connection state to the access network is an IP connection; and   c-2) demultiplexing the processed multimedia data according to the connection state of the access network, decoding the demultiplexed multimedia data, and outputting audio/video/data through an output device.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step b) includes the steps of:
 b-1) encoding multimedia data inputted from a user and multiplexing the encoded multimedia data;   b-2) modulating the multiplexed multimedia data according to a set modulation scheme, and transmitting the modulated multimedia data to a multimedia service server through an access network if the connection state to the access network is the RF channel connection; and   b-3) converting the multiplexed multimedia data into a UDP format or a TCP format, and transmitting the converted multimedia data to the service server through the access network if the connection state to the access network is the IP connection.